'HE TECHNOLOGIST. [June 1, 1865 



480 USEFUL PLANTS OF NEW ZEALAND. 



Sopliora grandiflora, Kohwai. — A splendid tree, with laburnum-like 

 flowers. The wood is highly durable, and adapted for cabinet work. 



Fuscliia excorticdta. — A very crooked, but ornamental tree. The 

 wood might be used as a dye-stuff, if rasped up and boiled in the usual 

 way ; and by using iron as a mordant, various shades of purple may be 

 produced, even to a dense black, that makes good writing ink. Its 

 juice, which is astringent and agreeable, might perhaps yield an extract 

 that would be useful in bowel complaints ; its fruit is pleasant, and 

 forms the favourite food of the wood-pigeon. 



Metrosidoros lucida et robusti, Kata. — A very ■ ornamental tree, 

 especially when covered with dark crimson flowers. The timber is very 

 valuable as a cabinet wood, and can be procured in quantity from the 

 West Coast. It is also likely to come into demand for all. purposes 

 where durability and strength are required, such as for beams and knees 

 in shipbuilding, bridges, and the like. 



Leptospermum ericiodes, Manuka. — A highly ornamental tree, more 

 especially when less than twenty years old. It is largely used at present 

 for fuel and fencing. The old timber, from its dark-coloured markings, 

 might be used with advantage in cabinet work, and its great durability 

 might recommend it for many other purposes. 



L. scoparium is sometimes large enough to be called a tree ; the bark 

 is papery. Both these species have very astringent saps ; one has been 

 tested for its strength as a building timber, and found to bear a greater 

 transverse strain than any of the Australian or other New Zealand 

 woods. 



Carpoditus serratus, White Mapau, — A very ornamental shrub-tree ; 

 the wood is tough, and might be used in the manufacture of handles of 

 agricultural implements. 



Weinmannia sylvicola, Kamai. — An ornamental timber tree, with 

 handsome flowers ; its wood is close-grained and heavy, but rather 

 brittle. It might become useful for building purposes, being very 

 similar to beech and sycamore, and might be used for the same pur- 

 poses, such as plane-making and other joiner's tools, block-cutting for 

 paper- and calico-printing, besides various kinds of turnery and wood- 

 engraving. 



Panax crassifolia, Grass-tree or Lancewood. — The wood is close- 

 grained and tough, and if kept dry might be used in building. 



Coprosiua lucida. — An ornamental shrub-tree. Wood close-grained 

 and yellow ; might be used in turnery. 



Olearia nitida? has also a close-grained wood with yellow markings, 

 which might be used for cabinet wood. 0. dentata in the vicinity of 

 Dunedin often attains eighteen inches in diameter, and is also well 

 marked for cabinet work. 0. Forsteri and O. avicennifolia are also suited 

 for the same purpose. 



Dracoph/llum longifoUum is an ornamental shrub-tree, with long 

 grassy leaves. The wood is white, marked with satiny specks, and 



